Action and Study Groups

Extensive reports and research materials regarding Solid Waste issues along with FACT SHEETS for various Shared Services in Ulster and Dutchess Counties including the Mid-Hudson Regional Sustainability Plan

The League has been integral in shaping policy at the state level and continues to voice the views and positions of its membership regularly to the Senate, Assembly and Governor's office. Visit the League of Women Voters of New York Advocacypage for more information. And visit the national League's Take Action web page for issues of national significance.

PAINT STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM
This legislation will enable the paint manufacturing industry to develop and implement a post-consumer paint management system for the reuse, recycling, and proper disposal of paint in New York. The industry supported legislation has already been passed in seven states and is currently being implemented in Oregon, California, and Connecticut.

Update: Both the Ulster County Legislature and the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency Board of Directors showed their support for bills S4690 and A6930 by passing resolutions supporting a paint stewardship program in New York. These identical bills will establish a convenient statewide paint collection and recycling program for all New York residents and businesses. It will save New York municipalities money, create recycling jobs and protect the environment.

Background: Each year, 10 percent of paint purchased by New Yorkers becomes unwanted, resulting in an estimated 3.1 million gallons of leftover paint per year. Unfortunately, most leftover paint is currently disposed of in the garbage despite the efforts of local governments. As stated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in its 2010 Beyond Waste Report, "Paint is a large component of the materials captured at most household hazardous waste (HHW) collection events and facilities...Managing paint through the HHW stream is expensive and not effective in capturing substantial volumes for recycling." If all leftover paint were captured and managed through the manufacturer-supported product stewardship program + as proposed by the bill + New York State would gain a total benefit of about $26 million annually.

Shared Services

Our League is conducting studies of the various ways in which Ulster County, Dutchess County, and it's local municipalities share and might further share some of the services provided to their citizens. You may find an excellent series of articles devoted to Shared Municipal Services published in the Government, Law and Policy Journal (NYSBA Winter, 2007;VOL. 9; #2) published by the New York State Bar Association Committee on Attorneys in Public Service, produced in cooperation with the Government Law Center at Albany Law School.

You should also visit Ulster County's Municipal Services pages to find what services are being shared and/or in the planning stages.

Ellie Charwat and her committee have prepared the following FAQ sheets you may find interesting as well.

3. GOLDEN HILL SPECIAL TASK FORCE PRESENTATION TO THE LEGISLATURE: The presentation video and full report can be viewed at http://www.totalwebcasting.com/view/?id=ulster# (the UC Legislature's "Webcast" page.) Select the November 30, 2010 entry from the menu. Also notice the "Documents" where you can view/download the full report.

Additional links of interest:

The national League of Women Voters has published a "Strategies for Best Practice" regarding privatization of government services. See its Executive Summary and the companion Appendix

On April 26, 2008, the League held an informational meeting on the future of the Golden Hill Healthcare Facility at City Hall. About 70 people attended, and the meeting was reported in several local papers.

Richard Mathews was the moderator, and the panel consisted of Robert Parete, the chairman of the Health Services Committee of the Ulster County Legislature; Steve Kelley, who chairs the Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on the Future of the County Nursing Home for the Legislature; Sheree Cross, Director of the Golden Hill Healthcare Facility; Bette Moscowitz, speaking for the Ombudsmen; Patrick Cucinelli, a financial analyst for the State Association of Nursing Homes; and Stan Wojeiechowski, also from the state association.

The Blue Ribbon Commission (also known as the Berger Commission) required a comprehensive review of healthcare facilities, including county-run nursing homes. As a result of the report, the Kingston and Benedictine Hospitals were merged, and the legislature appointed the Blue Ribbon Panel to look at the future of the county-owned Golden Hill Healthcare Facility.

Although there is a surplus of nursing home beds throughout New York State, Ulster County beds are at 98% of capacity. Elderly people prefer to stay in their homes as long as possible, so there may well be greater demand for home care and programs outside institutions as an alternative to more beds.

Like other county nursing homes, Golden Hill serves as a safety net for county residents, which means that it accepts people whom for-profit nursing homes might refuse because of the extra care they require.

There are serious financial issues facing the Golden Hill facility; the subsidy required from the county in 2007 was over $5 million, or about $20 thousand per resident. Furthermore, a site review showed that the physical plant needs serious renovation or replacement in the next few years. It is 35 years old and should be modernized for resident comfort and efficiency. Renovations were estimated at $44 million in 2006, and a new facility was estimated at $94 million.

Although there can be money for capital improvement from the state, the county would have to pay for the work up front and be reimbursed over the life of the improvement. Present county finances make that an unpalatable action.

Sheree Cross has been Director of Golden Hill for six years, and told the audience about the routine. There is a separate wing for Alzheimer patients. Short term care is available as well as long-term care. There are arrangements for residents at various levels of infirmity. Personal care is provided as needed, and residents eat in the dining room or in their rooms. There are choices of various activities (such as crafts) supplied by the staff. There are two beauty parlors and a gift shop, and physical and occupational therapy sessions. Visitors are welcome, and they can take residents out if they are well enough.

In addition to a staff of nearly 400 people in 11 departments, there are 70 volunteers who contribute some 9000 hours of work every year. Golden Hill has an excellent reputation and meets known requirements.

Bette Moskowitz described the role of the ombudsmen and spoke of how well Golden Hill staff works with the two ombudsmen there to resolve complaints and improve residents' lives.

The financial arrangements for funding nursing homes are extraordinarily complex and outdated. The basis for costs has been 1983 and is only now being revised to 2002. This should improve reimbursement from the state and federal governments when the changes are complete.

Currently, the amounts paid to nursing homes by the state are very difficult to calculate and there are too few financial analysts in the state Department of Health to determine and allocate the funds that have been budgeted but not yet distributed. State and federal money has been held up because of calculation problems and because some states have used federal money for purposes other than health care. With the change in the basis year, money should be greater, but the timing is not definite and counties have obligations to pay operating costs as they come due.

In response to a question, Steve Kelley said that the Blue Ribbon Panel hopes to have its report and recommendations out by early June. It is being worked on now. He noted that the committee members were all at the meeting and expected to use the public comments in their deliberations.

The League's local study group continues to meet in hopes that the situation will be clarified and that a solution can be found which is satisfactory to all interested parties and is within the financial constraints under which the county has to operate.

Criminal Justice Study

From the our local League's own findings based on its studies since 1999, and in accord with prior recommendations to the Ulster County Legislature, the League of Women Voters Mid-Hudson Region has recommended the formation of a Criminal Justice Council under the auspices of the present Criminal Justice / Safety Committee and has transmitted a proposed Resolution to the Legislature.

Click the following link to view the League's report & recommendations:

The LWV of the Mid-Hudson Region has promoted the formation of a Criminal Justice Council as a result of our study of the criminal justice system in Ulster County. The County Legislature adopted this idea and has now appointed 19 of the 21 members who will form this Justice Council.

The make-up of the council comprises decision makers from the following agencies: Public Defender, District Attorney, Corrections (Jail), Youth Bureau, Probation, County Court, Mental Health, Sheriff's Department, Department of Social Services, Drug Court, Community Corrections, and Alternative Sentencing.